The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-23
HOW MUSIC is MADE.
Examination of the Manuscripts by an Ex-
perienced Salaricd Inspector.

Examination of the manuscripts by an Ex-
perienced Salaricd Inspector.
s.The way to cook rabbit is to first |
catch a rabbit. etc. applies forcibly to
the initial process of producing mu-
sical composition in sheet form, ard it |
may be further added that manuscripts |
worth publishing are as hard to secure |
as the traditional rabbit. As all large
music publishii@ concerns are con-
stantly in receipt of manuscripts sent
for examination and sale, it becomes
necessary to inspect each composition
rs soon as possible, otherwise they
would accumulate to such an extent
that a separate examination would be
next to impossible.
For this purpose is employed a
thoroughly educated and practical mu-
sician, one who not only performs at
sight, but who is also a master of har-
mony and composition. After care
fully trying over each piece and noting
his opinion thereon, the result may be
the selection of one or two manuscripts
out of perhaps fifty, the balance being
returned to their respective authors,
marked rejected"
We will suppose that one of the
pieces recommended by the inspector Is
a song. The publisher now holds
manuscript which in the opinion of his
inspector is worth publishing, that is,
| it has some points of excellence that
might result in the piece becoming
popular. The next step is to read the
| letter sent by the writer of the song,
/ and if the auther's demands are
deemed reasonable his terms are ac-
cepted aud the song is put in hand.
/ not, however, before The publisher has
| first satisfied himself that the words are
correct and suitable and that the title
is not already in use.
The manuscript is then taken by the
engraver, who, seated at his table, be-
| gins the work of transferring to metal
plates the copy before him. For
this purpose he employs n hammer
and multitude of small steel dies.
each one of which represents charac-
ter of music, in fact, every thing from
a brace to a double-bar, and from a
grace note to a ..sixty-fourth, besides
rests, slurs, ereseendos and full set
of the alphabet in various sizes, such
as agate. nonpareil. primer. etc.
Upon the table before him rests a
slab Of iron about two feet square by
two inches thick. This is the anvil (?)
on which is laid the metal plate afore-
mentioned. The latter is composed of
! white metal, and is one-sixteenth of an
{ inch in thickness. The surface is high
lv polished and resembles FURNISHED
1 -.I. .1,a a IS
rules and other peculiar tools the lines,
bars. etc, are laid out, after which the
engraver proceeds to fill in the music
J and words, and thus each plate is
: treated until the song is finished.
While the music engraver is busy
/ with his manuscript and dies, the title
2 engraver is not idle. BY process eN-
: actlv similar to bank note or steel en-
T craving this individual prepares ths
: title, which, as an obvious necessity,
: must be entirely original in design
e both in lettering and ornamentation
e The metal plates used for titles are the
: same as those used for music.
n The music plates and title. being
a finished, proofs are taken from then
and submitted to the music Inspector
: who carefully examines every page an,
e makes the necessary corrections. after
e which they are returned TO the en-
: graver. The latter individual having
I made the designated changes or addi
d tions. passes the plates TO the superin
: tendent of the press-room, where the,
q are in turn given to the pressman.
t The press used is the same as EN-
Y ployed in steel plate printing, and can
II therefore only be worked by hand Th
5 process is necessarily slow and tedious
= but it is the only method by whicl
first-class sheet music can be made
After the music is printed the musi
sheets, which are still wet, are hunl
-t upon racks TO dry. The drying pro
cess consumes about two or three hours
! when they are taken down, folded, am
u put in press where they are usuall
Il left over night. In the morning the
g are taken out and we have before US
pile of elegant plate music. ''the lates
u song of the season" plate" edition
le will always be preferred by all who az
II preciate music that can be easily read
a in fact, to those accustomed to plat
work sstype music seems like n
r. ,,,,,.io lF,Sjeng .To7y,-llaT